@IOForienteering

The first session of a busy day for the world’s leading ski orienteers ended with wins in the individual sprint race for Olga Novikova, now representing Kazakhstan, and home athlete Kiril Veselov. This afternoon there is a 2-person sprint relay.

Novikova’s win was by 1.8 seconds over the Russian Alena Chukareva, who achieved her best-ever result at top international level – she was Long distance Champion in the Junior World Championships in 2008. Third came the much-improved Swede Josefine Engström, almost 12 seconds slower than Chukareva. Yesterday’s winner Natalya Tomilova was fourth.

Kiril Veselov powered round the course 11.2 seconds quicker than Peter Arnesson, the experienced Swede who was second overall in the World Cup in 2008. Third in this race was another Russian, Vadim Tolstopyatov, 9 seconds slower than Arnesson. Olli-Markus Taivainen couldn’t maintain yesterday’s winning form and finished eleventh.

Home athletes dominated in both races, with 4 Russians in the first 6 in the men’s race and 3 in the first 6 in the women’s.